RAC is urging Western Australians to start the New Year with a focus on road safety and commit to reducing deaths and serious injuries on WA’s roads.
According to preliminary data from the Road Safety Commission, as of 30 December 2019, 164 people had lost their lives on WA’s roads — more lives lost than in 2018.
RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs Will Golsby said the cost of this road trauma on families, friends and communities is immeasurable and will be life-long.
“Deaths on our roads are more than just numbers — we must remember these are real people with families and friends who are suffering, and still learning to cope with the sudden loss of a loved one,” Mr Golsby said.
“Last year was one of our worst in recent years for road fatalities, and the impact of each individual life lost is widespread and will last a lifetime.
“Unfortunately, it’s easy to think it won’t happen to you, but no one is immune from road trauma.
“This year, we don’t want to see anyone killed or injured on our roads. One life lost is one too many.
“We all have a responsibility to reduce deaths and serious injuries and that’s why we’re asking all Western Australians to make safe driving their New Year’s resolution.”
Around 60 per cent of WA’s road fatalities occur on regional roads — that's why RAC is calling for the State Government’s Regional Road Safety Package to be fully funded in the 2020/21 State and Federal Budgets.
This $900 million road improvement package would accelerate crucial road upgrades to more than 17,000 kilometres of WA’s regional road network.
“Our regional communities are hurting — just 20 per cent of WA’s population live in our regional areas yet this is where most of our fatalities occur,” Mr Golsby said.
“These low-cost road improvements would reduce road trauma by an unprecedented 60 per cent and prevent more than 2,100 serious crashes from occurring in the next decade."
- ENDS -
